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Elegy Chapter Two: Nistalan
(Scene 1) :The Scratching Post Bar and Grill :Levity, Planet Odell :Antares System, Antares Quadrant, Epsilon Sector :2680.107, 2013 Hours EST (Six Months Earlier) | Bloodeye still regretted the incident that had made him a fugitive among the Terrans, though it was more that he had killed when his intent had been to merely immobilize - he did not regret his actions nor the reasons for them that day. As a resident of the B'Shriss reservation, he had witnessed a Terran official physically abusing a Kilrathi youth, and when Krahtagh had intervened, the Terran went to draw a laser pistol; he had instintively drawn the very same koractu he had at his side now and sliced the Terran's arm off, taking the opportunity to pick up the pistol before calmly leaving the wounded Terran's presence. It was only later - when the Terrans sent troops to the reservation - that he learned the Terran had died from loss of blood. Not only that, but that the Terran in question was in fact the Sector Governor's late husband. He made arrangements to leave the reservation for Odell that same day, before the Terran authorities could find and arrest him; until he'd fulfilled the last assignment his Master had given him, Bloodeye was bound for nargrast. He had no intention of seeing his soul in that awful place, and he definitely didn't intend to go there because some Terran executioner had merely flipped a switch... |- | The most unfortunate part of the whole incident was that the youth did not - indeed, could not - appreciate his actions, for the name of Krahtagh N'Ryllis was well-known on B'Shriss. He was a resident sa'guk, a pariah whose very name was unmentionable in polite Kilrathi society. For him to have come to the aid of any Kilrathi was unthinkable - he was considered without honor, a kil who was dead to his hrai even though he still lived. He was sure the youth hadn't mentioned to anyone who it was who had come to his rescue that day; had he done so, he would've shared in Bloodeye's dishonor, and it would not have been out of the realm of possibilities for the youth to have died anyway at the hands of his own family. |- | The waitress returned after a few minutes with a dust-covered bottle and two small, chipped bowls. Bloodeye nodded thanks, extended a claw and used it to pop the cork off of the bottle. He poured himself as large of a draught of the reddish liquid as he could given the size of the bowl, and drank. It became immediately apparent to him that he'd been served an inferior brew. He'd drank kika'li, known in some circles as "Firekka's Finest", before - indeed, it was one of the few alcoholic drinks offered on the reservations and he'd long-since acquired a taste for it - and knew that the level of heat from a good bottle would ordinarily be quite potent. The sludge he'd just drank didn't even threaten to clear his sinuses. Uqo'av'jaqduk jha esh'inimangin ra dyakma'ga hafduthinin maks akvidyuki inmaks r'inkin de. Gar'yudanisink gar'shra, Kayi, {extended a claw and used it to pop the cork off of the bottle. He poured himself as large of a draught of the reddish liquid as he could given the size of the bowl, and drank. It became immediately apparent to him that he'd been served an inferior brew. He'd drank kika'li, known in some circles as "Firekka's Finest", before - indeed, it was one of the few alcoholic drinks offered on the reservations and he'd long-since acquired a taste for it - and knew that the level of heat from a good bottle would ordinarily be quite potent. The sludge he'd just drank didn't even threaten to clear his sinuses.} |- | Ra'Khaj's appearance had not changed much since Bloodeye had known him as a youth, aside from a natural growing in stature. His tan-orange pelt was still sleek and well-groomed, his blonde mane cropped close according to the latest trends, his golden eyes fierce and piercing - in stature, he was the very archetype of a powerful Lord of the Kiranka clan. Ra'Khaj's appearance in many ways reminded him of picture's he'd seen of the late Prince Ratha, and he always suspected that Ra'Khaj was of the Emperor's bloodline; certainly there were few other avenues by which a Kiranka would find themselves being trained at a clan Sutaghi blade school. But even after all the years had passed, Ra'Khaj was a mystery; his parentage was known only to a few, and Bloodeye was not among those so privileged. |- | "I doubt very much whether anyone here cares with whom - or with what, since you put it that way - I drink with. No, I imagine you are well aware of my views on the pollution of the remains of our culture." |- | Bloodeye scowled. He remembered from the days where Ra'Khaj was his student that the youth had an annoying habit of speaking at times where silence and discretion were best prescribed. He had provoked more fights amongst the students and faculty at the school blade school than any other student in its long history, and had not events unfolded as he did, it was likely he would've been expelled at some point. Even now, as a Lord and representative of clan Kiranka, he had not broken himself of this bad habit; there were few Kilrathi who had not heard of the events of the rally of the Great Clans four years ago, Bloodeye among them. |- | "I and everyone else are well aware of your views. Tell me again, Ra'khaj, how many of our people were killed in that brawl your inflammatory rhetoric started? Two-eights and four, was it? I thought I had taught you discretion better than that." |- | Ra'Khaj responded with anger seeping into his voice. "For someone who contacted me wanting my help, you sure are making a strong case for me walking out the door of this questionable establishment. Interesting choice for a discreet meeting, I must say..." |- | "I thought it best that we meet in surroundings where the locals wouldn't speak the language. Do not worry, I've already checked - we may discuss business freely." |- | "And what business could that possibly be, Bloodeye? Get to the point so we can get this cheerful reunion over already." |- | Ra'Khaj broke out in a fit of scornful laughter that lasted for a good fifteen seconds, while Bloodeye's face remained fixed. When he finally recovered enough to speak again, his voice was full of mocking scorn. "Age has apparently dulled your senses, old teacher. Why would you think I am inclined to give you a broken-down garbage scow, let alone a warship?" |- | Because, you smug bastard, you're the reason I'm still alive, Bloodeye thought. He had anticipated this reaction, and now was in the advantageous position that he had hoped he would find himself. |- | When he spoke again, it was in an even, measured tone - not quite emotionless, but certainly void of any feeling of ill-will. "Ra'khaj, you were my student for many years. You remember how I was - a kil of honor. I remember you as well from those days. Stubborn but fierce, proud and yet willing to learn. Most of all, I remember your curiosity, how it got you into trouble on more than one occasion but how much you learned as a direct result of that trait. I counted on that curiosity when I contacted you. You are curious why I, a retainer of my master Lord Talmak, am still alive when it is well known that he is dead - why I choose to continue living as sa'guk when it was and still is my duty to commit zu'kara and join my Master in the Great Hunting Grounds. You know damn good and well - as I do - that you didn't agree to this meeting so you could bicker with an old Kil who has lost everything. You only agreed to this meeting because you hoped to have your curiosity about me filled, and I know that when I have finished satisfying your curiosity - when you know the truth of things - you will grant me my request." |- | Ra'Khaj looked dubious, his voice cautious. "I very much doubt that I will grant your audacious request, old teacher. But you are welcome to try to persuade me." Gar'diyaik k'gri, Ra'Khaj, maks gar'yel'ha rodyapas. "Ni'k'grigaga mas ni'h'asgath ri'rathrgin {audacious}, churgathik'a. Qu ri'h'in h'in {persuade} nai." (Scene 2) :Daik Qith'rak nar Sutaghi :Brajakh Birinin, Planet N'Ryllis :N'Ryllis System, Kur'u Caxki Quadrant, Kilrah Sector :2669.267, 1307 Hours EST (Eleven Years Earlier) The youth has gotten quite good, Bloodeye thought as he deflected yet another of Ra'Khaj's hammer blows. Perhaps a bit too good. It had been a fairly normal day for Bloodeye up to that point, his third class of a typical day at the Sutaghi clan's blade school. The class was one of his favorites to teach - sparring class, wherein the students would duel with one another equipped with igirgai while he had them focus on particular techniques of attack and defense. While the students fought with one another, he'd observe how individual fights were going. While he would step in to correct a student who displayed poor technique, for the most part he was interested in gauging the emotional states of his students. His master Talmak, Kal Thrak'hra of clan Sutaghi and headmaster of the blade school, would often ask Bloodeye of his opinions of the abilities of his students, and his observations assisted his master in determining who was ready to advance and who needed additional work. Bloodeye's sparring class had its rules, the foremost of which was that a student had to conduct themselves with honor at all times. Among things such as only attacking with only the blade and not deliberately causing injury to their opponents, this meant that students could not attempt to goad one another or criticize their opponent's fighting ability while the class was ongoing (of course, what happened outside of the class was entirely different matter and Bloodeye was not so naive as to think that the students did not bully one another once class was over). If a student violated any of the rules, Bloodeye would stop all of the ongoing skirmishes, call out the offender and then personally challenge them while the other students watched. In all of the time that he had been teaching the class, he had never lost a fight against one of his students. Indeed, the matches usually ended quickly, and in victory he was always conciliatory towards the defeated. At the same time, he never passed up the chance to teach the entire class a lesson stemming from things he did during the fight. Ra'Khaj had managed, with a single action, to break all four of those rules. Bloodeye had heard Ra'Khaj whisper "rha'rhi, kharang", an ancient and unspeakably foul curse, to his sparring partner. In anger, the student had swung viciously at Ra'Khaj, only for his blade to meet the youngster's extended claws; the end result was a broken igirgai and a deep gash in that student's forearm. Bloodeye had challenged Ra'Khaj on the spot while other students accompanied his opponent to the healers. That was fifteen minutes ago, and Bloodeye was starting to tire. Unlike in the days when he had dueled his friend Gar for nearly two days straight, Bloodeye was not a young kil anymore. Part of the trouble he was having with Ra'Khaj, both as a student and as an opponent, was the fact that before he had come to the Sutaghi blade school, he was a student at a similar school ran by clan Qarg. Expelled from that school for reasons that hadn't been fully explained to Bloodeye, Ra'Khaj had come to them the previous year as a fourth-year student, and he rapidly became one of Bloodeye's best students, bringing with him some knowledge and training that were contrary to the way things were traditionally taught by clan Sutaghi. That in and of itself wasn't that big of a surprise; clan Qarg had a prestigious educational and training regimen in the military arts which focused more on the forms of combat, while clan Sutaghi's training focused more on the art of combat. Many aristocratic families vied to send their sons to either school; that Ra'Khaj, a Kiranka, had been a student with clan Qarg said something about both the importance of his family and his level of skill; that he had been expelled from that school made an equally strong statement about the cub's character. Bloodeye had asked the cub outright about the reasons for his dismissal; the cub had replied that he was "merely too much for his instructors to handle", a non-answer. He could only surmise that it had to do with the cub's level of arrogance - which was considerable - or that he enjoyed conflict too much for his own good. The cub was certainly enjoying the fight - that much was obvious. In fact, he was enjoying it too much - regularly laughing as he lunged again and again. The Qarg had trained him well, and yet it was obvious his training with them had been incomplete; there had been more than one occasion for him to score a winning strike on Bloodeye in the last few minutes. He realized Ra'Khaj was prolonging the fight for pure enjoyment. And if he didn't do something about it right away, he might very easily have to yield to the whelp. Perhaps I should teach the class a different lesson today. May Sivar forgive me, he thought. What he was considering was as life-threatening as things would've been had he and Ra'Khaj been dueling with real blades, but at that point it was obvious that Ra'Khaj needed to be taken down a few notches. He swung high, towards a point slightly above Ra'khaj's head. The youth parried the blow with ease and began drawing up for a riposte when Bloodeye stepped inside and then kicked the youth squarely between the legs, his foot landing true in the cub's testicles. There were roars of disapproval from the class and a distinct yelp of pain as Bloodeye's target crumpled to the ground, dropping the faux blade in the process. Bloodeye didn't hesitate. With the swift motions of an expert, he placed his foot on Ra'khaj's blade hand and raised his own training blade to the youth's throat, while the latter's eyes glazed over with a combination of pain and anger. He made a quick slicing motion, signalling the kill and the end of the match. A hollow victory, Bloodeye thought. I bet they won't forget '''this' lesson'', Bloodeye thought. He turned to face the class and roared for their silence even as he kept his foot squarely on Ra'Khaj's blade hand, lest the youth try to do something unfortunate. "Students, heed this lesson well! Yes, this victory was without honor, won through a cowardly act. In this fact you are absolutely correct, and I do not feel the thrill of victory, only the shame of cowardice. Yet, consider - I have triumphed over my foe. Had this been a fight with true blades, Ra'Khaj would now be dead. He did not anticipate that I, his instructor, would stoop to a dishonorable act in order to best him. Therein lies the lesson I will teach you today - many of you will leave this school and go on to fight against the Terrans as soldiers in the Imperial Legions. On the battlefield, in any encounter where you meet a Terran in hand-to-hand combat, you have almost all of the advantages - you are stronger, faster and have better senses than the Terran does. Therefore, the Terran will be desperate, and Terrans are not bound by the rules of honor. It is in that situation, when you are closing in for the kill and your honor-less foe is desperate to stay alive, that he is at his most dangerous. He does not seek death - he has no problems with the notion of life without honor, and he will do whatever he needs to do to replace your victory with death. Remember the words of the Codex, students: There is no such thing as a battle without honor, though it is possible to encounter an honorless foe. Such words were almost designed with the Terrans in mind - the tales of them besting our best warriors through dishonor and cowardice are too many to count. This is all I will teach you today. Go now, and think carefully upon my words, while I arrange to perform the puckal for my actions today." He could see the students were dissatisfied at what had taken place before them, but they all looked contemplative and didn't hesitate to file out of the training room. Many of them knew that Bloodeye was a mere commoner, that Ra'Khaj was a member of the Kiranka clan, and Bloodeye knew that, despite saying he'd perform the annual ritual of atonement for his actions, it was more likely that Ra'Khaj would order their teacher to perform zu'kara - ritual suicide - instead. Bloodeye's foot was still firmly placed against Ra'Khaj's blade hand and he could see that the youth's expression of pain had sufficiently translated itself into one of anger. He addressed his defeated opponent in an even tone. "Before I will release your hand, you must promise not to claw me in the foot." Ra'Khaj's scowl deepened but he nodded his assent. Bloodeye slowly picked up his foot and Ra'Khaj withdrew his hand, shaking it to get feeling back into it while getting onto his feet. Bloodeye saw the youth's hands restrain from an attempt at cradling his wounded nether regions; Ra'Khaj was quite disciplined for his age. When Ra'Khaj spoke, it was with as much bile as he could muster. "I should have you perform zu'kara, you coward." Bloodeye ignored the epithet of "coward" - the worst insult one could offer a Kilrathi - and continued in a more conciliatory tone. "You would be within your rights to demand it, and if that is your wish, young master, I will go and do so at once." "The battle should have been mine." Now Bloodeye shifted back into the role of teacher. "Should have and would have, Ra'Khaj - should have and wasn't, because you were enjoying yourself so much that you lost track of what mattered: the kill. The saying goes that victory should not be counted until the blood of the prey is in one's mouth. Remember that. And remember what I told the class - you may never find yourself on the battlefields against the Terrans, but I hear that life in the Imperial Court is no less hazardous. Sometimes more so. Go and find the healers; I will inform your other instructors to not expect you today so that you may attend to your injuries. Ice will help the one. The other - the injury to your pride - will take time. RA'KHAJ: STUDENT: Kal Gathik'a, we are receving a transmission from Kilrah. Lord Talmak wishes to speak to you at once. BLOODEYE: We will continue this conversation later. (Bloodeye goes to some kind of office or sanctum of some sort.) BLOODEYE: (to someone - servants should be able to order lower-ranked servants around, right) I desire privacy. (Turns on the comm, image is crackly and Lord Talmak is visibly shaken.) BLOODEYE: Master, is everything alright? Your signal is weak. TALMAK: We are having a rather large earthquake at the moment. That's not important right now. I have a task for you, Bloodeye - and I must ask you to swear eshchurgu. (Explain what that is - a blood-oath that the task requested will be done before the oath-swearer's death, on pain of that kil's everlasting dishonor - with religious connotations - should they fail. Basically it's the most serious form of blood-oath a Kilrathi can make). BLOODEYE: I swear eshchurgu to you, my master. TALMAK: You should not be so hastely to swear, Bloodeye - you would hesitate if you knew what it was I must ask of you. BLOODEYE: I swear eshchurgu to you, my master. TALMAK: Very well, Bloodeye, much as it will cause you pain. Your task involves your student, Ra'Khaj nar Ghoran. BLOODEYE: Ra'Khaj? TALMAK: Yes, Bloodeye. I must ask....... (Static becomes intense and then the signal breaks off). (Scene 3) :The Scratching Post Bar and Grill :Levity, Planet Odell :Antares System, Antares Quadrant, Epsilon Sector :2680.107, 2020 Hours EST B: I thought nothing of the communications failure at the time. Earthquakes were commonplace on Kilrah if you'll remember, and I believed that my master would simply communicate with me again when it became possible for him to do so. It was only later - when I heard the news of Kilrah's death - that I realized what had happened. R: Lord Talmak was an honorable kil. He deserved to die in battle, not to be crushed to death like a common insect. (a pause) B: Of course, you were at the blade school when the news arrived; I'm sure you remember well the scene. I myself wandered the halls in a daze as I recall, seeing kili - fellow instructors as well as students - who had cut the ka'chodyapakalk on their foreheads twice, sometimes three or four times. Some had cut themselves more deeply than is wise, but of course we all mourned. There were those who committed zu'kara of course, and as the realization that my master had died without me at his side hit me, I knew that my honor demanded I take my own life as well, and went to conduct the ritual. (this is when he gets intense about it) B: It was as I held my claws ready to rip out my own throat that I remembered my vow of eshchurgu. I had a task to complete that I had sworn to see done before my death and much as I longed for it, I had to complete that task. Of course, I had no idea what that task was, because my master had died before he could tell me about it - and to this day, I do not know my task. I just know that it involves you, Ra'Khaj. I have faith in Sivar that he will one day enlighten me and show me my path. In the meantime, I survive, and I pray the Prayer of the Sa'guk daily. R: You tell me this so as to gain my sympathy? B: Of course. R: How can you fulfill a task if you don't know what it is and the only one who did is dead? The situation reeks of a pathetic excuse to me. If you have truly sworn eshchurgu, why are you sa'guk? B: Ah, that one's easy. Who became the new leader of clan Sutaghi after the death of Lord Talmak? R: Lord Thavidaqut lak Arg, of course... B: And what do you remember of my relationship with Lord Thavidaqut? R: ...do you mean to say that you're considered sa'guk because Lord Thavidaqut is still holding a grudge against you for that incident with his sister? B: Not against me, Ra'Khaj, against my dearly-departed friend Gar. But as I'm the last of Lord Talmak's retainers still alive, he has no one else against whom to direct his anger. (explain this here: Gar got her pregnant before going off to war, Lord Thavidaqut challenged Lord Talmak for his family's honor, Bloodeye fought in his stead and won) R: And he knows of your eshchurgu? B: Of course. R: The dishonor of such a thing...such cowardice should not be tolerated in a Great Lord, and yet such things are commonplace these days. (considers) R: What would want with a warship, Bloodeye? You never served in the Imperial Navy. B: Ra'Khaj, I don't know where you've been this last decade, if you've endured the hardships that most of our people have; I'll assume you have not. I've lived on a Terran-run reservation for nearly a decade. I've seen proud Kilrathi succumb to things like starvation and disease, dying in a Terran bed like so many feeble grandmothers. I've seen our brethren hunted down like traggil and slaughtered like rugalga for the most minor infractions. I've seen their faces, Ra'Khaj - and the Warrior Spirit is fading. I've noticed it more and more with each day. I've also noticed the faces of the Terrans charged with "providing" for our brethren. They teach our youth that the actions of their ancestors were evil, and that their culture should be abandoned entirely for one more "enlightened". They teach of the atrocities our kind caused during the War; they don't speak of the ones they committed in kind. In them there is greed, intolerance, hatred, smugness, insolence. I hear of our so-called leaders and their concern for the plight of our people, and I see what they do. They do nothing. They can do nothing. You ask what I want with a warship, Ra'Khaj. I want to go to war, to take back from the Terrans what rightfully belongs to our people, our dignity, and our honor. For the sake of our people, I want to fight for our future. (Ra'Khaj considers) R: Your heart is Kilrathi, Bloodeye. Were it in my power to grant you your request, I would do so. But, there remains the fact that you are sa'guk to your clan. However unjust that status may be, it remains the truth. I cannot officially support you in any crusade without risking my own position. B: You would leave me empty-handed, then? R: You may have the shuttle with which I came here. I borrowed it from the Council's motorpool anyway; I can simply say it was stolen. Such things happen more frequently than they should these days as it is. I will make my own arrangements to return to Pasqual. With it, I would suggest you seek out Arrah Sutaghi at the T'Kon H'hra Military Salvage Yard. B: A commoner? R: A commoner with a unique position, and as someone with a stigma of his own, he might be more willing than most to help you. I will send him a message to expect your arrival. He may be able to get you your ship, though I wouldn't count on it being first rate. If he can help you though, you should have little difficultly finding a crew at T'Kon H'hra. You know life in the reservations, Bloodeye, but I've been to the T'Kon H'hra station. Compared to it, the reservations are a paradise. B: Surely you exaggerate. R: I wish I did. B: As I wish you could've helped me more directly, but I'll thank you for the lead nevertheless. R: Then our business here is concluded. I must leave before the reek of this place saturates my fur and clothing entirely, and forces me to burn both. (Ra'Khaj stands) R: Bloodeye, I understand you have been deeply wronged. If it becomes within my power to have your honor restored or to assist you in determining your master's designs for me, I will do so. And I wish you great success in your coming war. B: May your talons be wet, and if your fate is not to return, may praise be sung in your name. (Ra'Khaj will leave. Bloodeye will go shortly afterwards, leaving the 200 credit coin for the waitress. I'm toying with the idea of having somebody try to attack him as he leaves. Definitely going to switch over to...) (Scene 4) :Office of the Governor of Epsilon Sector :Hope, Planet Epsilon Prime :Epsilon Prime System, Deneb Quadrant, Epsilon Sector :2680.110, 0954 Hours EST (How to start this one...cold open to a flustered governor and her aid going over the morning briefing, probably. Maybe mention her daughter at this point since we come across her in the story later on) LEE: That can wait until my meeting with Governor Hodge; got to listen to him telling me that the Broken Claw Agency isn't working fast enough to close down the remaining Kilrathi reservations again. Speaking of which, that's in about five minutes so we probably oughta wrap this up. Anything else from this morning's reports? AIDE: Just one last thing, something from General Alistair's intel bunch. LEE: Intel? What the hell are they bothering us about now? More pirate crap? AIDE: No. General Alistair seemed to think that you personally would be interested in this. Apparently a high-ranking Kilrathi nobleman, Ra'Khaj nar Ghoran, was seen on Odell two days ago. LEE: By Alistair's bunch? Bar or brothel? AIDE: A bar, governor. Here, let me show you. (Punches a few buttons on a computer, sees playback.) AIDE: Apparently he was there for some kind of meeting with this other Kilrathi whom we haven't yet identified and... LEE: That's Krahtagh N'Ryllis. AIDE: Are you sure? LEE: Positive. That's the bastard that killed William. (pause, explain who William Lee is...) LEE: Tell me they picked up the conversation they were having. AIDE: Only fragments of it; General Alistair's staff said he was some kinda pissed when he found out. They got the words "T'Kon H'hra" clearly enough, though. LEE: I see. Send a message to the T'Kon H'hra base and advise them to be on the lookout for a Kilrathi matching N'Ryllis's description arriving sometime in the next few days. He is to be considered armed and dangerous, and must be apprehended at all costs. AIDE: Why not just order them to kill him outright? He's just a Cat, after all. LEE: No. I want to watch that bastard burn... (Scene 5) :Docking Port 4-5 :T'kon H'hra Military Salvage Yard :T'kon H'hra System, Sa'Khan Quadrant, Epsilon Sector :2680.113, 1222 Hours EST AGENT: Identi-card, please. (Bloodeye hands the Terran agent a fake card. He scans it and looks at it his screen for a short time). AGENT: Wait here for a moment, please. (Bloodeye waits while the agent goes into an adjacent room. He's surprised to see a Kilrathi officer - Gux'a P'nt - approach a few minutes later) GP: Greetings. You must come with me now, sir. B: Is there a problem, First Fang? GP: No problems, but I need to ask you a few questions before I let you onto the station. We don't get a lot of Kilrathi visiting the station voluntarily. Most of our brethren are trying to leave. B: I'm here merely to conduct some business and then I'll be on my way. GP: I understand. It's the nature of that business that I need to ask about. So, I must ask you to come with me again - preferably before the Terran with the nasty-looking gun at his side gets trigger-happy. (Bloodeye notices the Terran agent having released the clasp of his weapon, ready to draw) B: I see. (Gux'a P'nt leads Bloodeye to an adjacent room, obviously set up for interrogation. As he enters, he surreptitiously places his hand on the hilt of his koractu. As the door shuts behind the two of them, Bloodeye draws the blade has it at Gux'a P'nt's throat before the other realizes it). B: I have no wish to harm a fellow Kilrathi. GP: (calmly) I have no particular wish to be harmed. B: Then we understand one another. So here's what's going to happen - you will let me walk of this room, you will report to your Terran friends outside that there are no discrepancies with my identification, and you will let me conduct my business here. The alternative is a demonstration of the proper use of this blade. GP: Those demands seem reasonable. But, before you do anything that I'll regret now and probably you'll regret shortly thereafter, let me ask you three questions. First: do you see the camera and microphone units imbedded in the walls of this room? Second: did you know they are currently switched off, and that I flipped the switches myself? Third: by what name did you call Gar hrai Talmak laq Qith'rak as a youth, and what unit did he command during the War? (Bloodeye slowly lowers his blade) B: He commanded the Harg'ahngarasiv Okkszar, and I called him "troublemaker". GP: As Shintahr Gar told it, you gave him that name because he bested you in a duel that lasted two days. You are Krahtagh N'Ryllis, the fugitive also known as "Bloodeye". B: You served under Gar? GP: In a manner of speaking; I helped him orchestrate the prison escape on Rakis. I'm Arrah Sutaghi. In recent days, I've received not one but two messages informing me to expect your arrival. B: Oh? (sheathes the blade at this point) GP: Yes. The first from Lord Ra'Khaj, telling me that you were on your way here to discuss a business arrangement and that I was to give you my full confidence. He mentioned you were sa'guk but that if you take the time to explain the circumstances to me at your earliest convenience, and that in the meantime I was to extend you every courtesy. The second was from the base's administration. Apparently your meeting with Lord Ra'Khaj on Odell did not go entirely unnoticed. B: That would complicate matters then, wouldn't it? GP: That it would. So whatever business you have to discuss, you should probably talk about it quickly. Before my superiors notice the recorders off, preferably. B: I need a ship, preferably a warship. GP: You've definitely come to the right place then - we have warships in surplus, if you're not picky about their condition. I could probably guess why you need one, but I'll defer hearing your reasoning for now. At the moment, we need to get you out of here and into hiding among the station's populace. B: Alright. How do you propose to do that? GP: I think your earlier suggestion - that I report to the Terrans that your identi-card is in order and that you are not, in fact, the kil the Broken Claw was looking for would do the trick. We'll need to set up a time and place to meet and discuss matters. B: Is there somewhere we could meet privately, and un-noticed? GP: Privacy is a thing of myth on this base; there's just too many of us. My cabin, such as it is, will provide us as much privacy as you can expect. Level 12 Section C; my shift ends at 1700 and we can discuss matters then. Meantime, I'd keep such a fine blade well under wraps; the populace does not take kindly to newcomers and a prize like that one would be well sought after. B: I see. I shall meet you at 1700 then. (They walk out) GP: (to Terran guard). I'm authorizing this kil to enter the base on my own authority; I am satisfied that he is not N'Ryllis. AGENT: You're sure about that, Gux'a P'nt? GP: (annoyed) Yes. AGENT: Your funeral. You got a name, Cat? B: I am Kayi nar Thaknav. AGENT: (opening the door to the cargo bay) Uh-huh. Well, Kayi nar Thaknav, welcome to hell... (Bloodeye stares in utter shock at what he sees in the station's cargo bay - the place is crammed to the walls with Kilrathi, the odor is nearly overwhelming, the sights sickening)... (Scene 6) :Arrah Sutaghi's Quarters :T'kon H'hra Military Salvage Yard, Level 12 Section C :T'kon H'hra System, Sa'Khan Quadrant, Epsilon Sector :2680.113, 1222 Hours EST (mention Bloodeye's activities of the day - how he'd explored for a couple of hours and asked a few questions. Despite not trying to, he had had to defend himself from someone trying to steal his sword; that Kil had lost a finger for his trouble and no one in range had bothered him afterwards. He shortly thereafter made his way to Gux'a P'nt's quarters, getting turned around only a few times. He's just gotten done telling Gux'a P'nt his tale.) B: ...and so now you know the truth of my story, and you know why I have come here. Whether you choose to believe my story or not is your concern. If not, I'll leave in peace. If you do, however, I would ask you for your help. GP: It is not unheard of for those in power, who are supposed to behave as paragons of honor, to behave dishonorably. You may have heard what my "friend" Karl called me as we were heading into the cargo bay earlier... B: Yes. He called you The Murderer of Five... GP: That he did, and that tale - like yours - boils down to a falsehood concocted and perpetrated by those in power. Prior to my time here I was a field soldier for the KAC Police force, and occasionally I flew shuttles for our diplomats; that's how I came to be known by Lord Ra'Khaj. One day I was tasked with delivering two principle lieutenants of members of the Council of the Assembly to a summit with the lak Agga warlords of S'Thran H'hra. On final approach, the lak Agga shot the shuttle down; the diplomats and their attaches died in the crash and I was seriously wounded. I know we were shot down and the lak Agga were responsible - but the lak Agga said that their "investigation" into the crash led them to believe that "pilot error" was to blame, and the Council believed them - that the lak Agga would never sully their honor by telling such an egregious lie. From that day forward, I was the Murderer of Five, ostracized by our leaders. I was sent to this hellhole because the Kal Thrak'hra of nar Cakxi called for my head, and Lord Thavidaqut did not want to allow another clan leader to dictate the execution of one of their own. I know I'm innocent, and that if I could present the proof to our leaders that they would agree and restore my honor. Meantime, I am here - watching our enemies castrate the once-proud fleets of Kilrah, our brethren herded like animals and left to starve or die from common diseases. I've been stuck here for six years now. B: Your tale is remarkably close to mine, it seems. GP: That it is. And whether I believe your tale or not - I do, by the way - what you're offering is a way of leaving this place behind for good - this is what you should lead with when you try to find a crew. B: Yes, I've given the matter of finding a crew some thought; I am not terribly thrilled with my prospects there. I've enountered many in the Empire who have at least heard my name and know that I'm sa'guk. There are those out there who would run me through sooner than they would give me the time of day. GP: You may be in luck once again. I've made connections with several kili who live on this base that have varying skills. They could conceivably make a fine crew, given the right leader. They know me and I know them. B: If you could gather them together and let me introduce myself all at once, that would be a helpful thing. GP: I will do this for you. I'll arrange a meeting and spread the word. This may take a while, as some of them are harder to locate than others. Let's say two days from now we'll convene. In the meantime, I'll look up the station's records and see which ships are in the best shape. B: I appreciate all the help you're giving me, Arrah Sutaghi. GP: Don't thank me just yet - thank me when you have space beneath your feet and this place is far behind you... (Alright, we will kill it here - the last bit of exposition starts with the next chapter). EXPOSITION Krahtagh hrai Talmak nar Sutaghi is a vassal to Lord Talmak Jirha laq Qith'rak nar Sutaghi, who is himself a noted weapons master. Krahtagh is a weapons instructor to Ra'Khaj nar Ghoran, a child with an enigmatic past; the two share a strong mentor/protege relationship, much like Lord Talmak and Bloodeye themselves. During a sparring exercise, Krahtagh chastises Ra'Khaj for his views on (honor vs survival; I'm developing this initial bit of the story still). With no heirs of his own, Lord Talmak considers Krahtagh - or Kayi (Bloodeye), as he's known - his proper successor and goes to petition Emperor Joor'rad personally for special dispensation to grant Bloodeye the status of master, an honor never before bestowed upon a commoner, and to have him recognized as Talmak's rightful heir. Bloodeye is left behind on N'Ryllis when Talmak is granted an initial audience with the Emperor. Bloodeye receives a communique from a visibly shaken Talmak while the latter is still on Kilrah, who says he has a hard task to ask of Bloodeye and makes him swear on his honor that he will see it carried out "at all costs". Bloodeye unflinchingly swears to do his master's bidding. Talmak is able to tell Bloodeye that "It's about Ra'Khaj", before the line goes dead - the Temblor Raid has occurred. Upon learning of his master's death, Bloodeye prepares for zu'kara - when he suddenly remembers his vow. The implications of the vow slowly descend upon him... Bloodeye has no hrai of his own; he becomes sa'guk in the eyes of his community for his failure to perform zu'kara like a proper Kilrathi should, no one else having heard the vow he swore to his master and his loyalty to his former master not given any consideration by the newly selected Kal Thrak'hra of clan Sutaghi (who holds a grudge against Bloodeye for some past transgression in which Bloodeye's testimony caused him to lose face). Bloodeye is relocated along with much of the population of N'Ryllis to the established reservation world of B'Shriss in the Antares Quadrant of Epsilon Sector. His registration papers with the Broken Claw Agency identify him as Krahtagh N'Ryllis, though in the eyes of the community he is Krahtagh Sa'guk. Krahtagh is appalled by conditions on the reservation - his fellow Kilrathi (not his fellows; even in exile he is still sa'guk and a social pariah) are left in squalor, many in a state of starvation and abject poverty. It is this state of affairs that Krahtagh is experiencing when he inadvertently murders an agent of the Broken Claw; Krahtagh witnessed the agent mistreating a Kilrathi youth. Fearing retaliation by their Terran oppressors, the citizens of the community cast out Krahtagh. With nothing left, other than a few credits, the clothes on his back and a masterwork koractu, he makes his way to the planetary capital of Ja'lra Ek'hra Rakhav and arranges a covert meeting in a Terran bar on Antares with his former pupil Ra'Khaj, who has become a controversial leader in the nar Kiranka clan. Krahtagh informs his ex-student of the conditions of his vow - including the bit he knows of it involving Ra'Khaj - and what his intentions are - he cannot allow the Kilrathi people to be treated this way any further, and intends to go to war for the sake of the species. Ra'Khaj tells him that there is little he can do officially, but does arrange for Krahtagh to gain access to a shuttle, subtly suggests he look for something with a little more punch in T'kon H'hra, and giving him the name of "Ar'rah Sutaghi" as a point of contact there. ACT I Bloodeye arrives at T'Kon H'hra, finding the conditions there even worse than they were on B'Shriss - thousands of Kilrathi are packed into the Star Post's main cargo bay like sardines, with barely enough room to move around. Most are obviously emaciated and in generally poor health. Bloodeye is taken to register as a visitor to the base but is recognized as a fugitive and must disappear into the crowd, setting up a meeting Ar'rah discretely...who turns out to be the custom official. At first Bloodeye is willing to kill Ar'rah - or Gux'a P'nt, as he's also (unjustly, in his mind) known - until the latter reveals that he too would like to see someone take up the fight for the Kilrathi people, and believes that Bloodeye might just have the clout to do it. The characters come in at this point - they are answering an advert Krahtagh placed within the T'kon H'hra base's refugee populace to meet at the local Temple of Sivar. He informs those who have gathered that he is looking for volunteers to help commandeer and crew KIS Shal'Kuz Mang, a Fralthi-II-class cruiser laying derelict in space near the station. Many present decide not to join up with yet another wannabe warlord, but he does attract a few followers; the characters are among them. Krahtagh lays out his plan for seizing the ship - one group will board using the shuttle Ra'Khaj gave to Krahtagh, power it up and kill any Terrans aboard. Once the ship is under their control, they will make their way at best speed towards the jump to T'Kon. The other group will fly fighter escort for the shuttle and the ship; Krahtagh has learned where a number of surplus fighters are stored above the depot. The second group will need to break into the hangar, fuel up the fighters and (boy, this sounds like a dumb plan...). All of this will be here eventually... ---- [[Elegy_2.1:_Tarakh%27ga|NEXT: 2.1 Part One - Tarakh'ga]] PREVIOUS: 1.0 Introduction TOP ----